Tarnos - La Digue Surf Forecast and Surf Report

G'day, Rusty here, and I've got to be straight with you – the outlook for the next couple of weeks around Tarnos – La Digue is a tough one. We're looking at a long stretch of small, wind-affected, and pretty ordinary conditions. Don't expect much, but there are a couple of tiny windows where it might just be worth a paddle.

We start off with a real flat spell. From Wednesday, the 8th of July, right through to the end of the following week, it's a grind. The swell is tiny, mostly under 3 ft, and the wind is constantly onshore or cross-onshore from the west and northwest. The energy is weak, with combined swell energy readings barely cracking 100 (34 to 94). It's the kind of stuff that'll have you sitting on your board watching the horizon. Friday afternoon, the 10th, finally gives us a bit of a tease. The wind goes glassy, calm, and the swell bumps up to 3 ft from the northwest with a period of 9 seconds. The combined energy hits 128. It's surfable, but the report says it's "very ordinary". You might get a few closeouts, but it's not going to be pretty.

The next morning, Saturday the 11th, is actually the best we've got in this first week. The wind swings offshore from the east at 10 km/h, cleaning up the 2 ft northwest swell. The period is 9 seconds, and the energy is 112. It's a small, clean wave, and for a beginner, this is your window. But don't get too excited – the break is "fairly consistent", so there will be lulls, and with the crowds listed as "sometimes", you might have a few others with the same idea.

Then we go back into the doldrums. The swell drops even further, and the wind turns messy again. From the 12th to the 17th, it's a wasteland of tiny waves and poor conditions. The water temperature is a notable 75°, which is 7° warmer than average for this time of year – that's a very unusual anomaly, so you can leave the steamer at home.

The second week of the forecast offers a bit more size, but the wind is still a problem. On Saturday the 18th, the swell picks up to 4 ft in the morning and 5 ft in the afternoon from the west-northwest, with a period of 8 seconds. The combined energy jumps to 307 in the afternoon. However, the wind is onshore and cross-onshore, making it choppy. The report rates it as "poor surf conditions". It's a step up in power, but the quality just isn't there. Sunday the 19th and Monday the 20th see the swell push past 6 ft to 8 ft from the northwest, with energy readings of 440 and 665. That's a proper moderate pulse. But the wind is onshore and strong, with rain showers and even a risk of thunderstorms on Monday. The wind is gusting 30 km/h, so it's a full-on washing machine. At this size, with 8-second period and onshore wind, it's more of a challenge for experts only, and even then, it's messy. Honestly, for a beach/jetty setup like this, with that much wind, it might be more interesting for the kite surfers than paddle surfers.

The last hope is a brief window on Wednesday the 22nd. The swell drops to 4 ft, but the wind goes light and cross-shore from the north-northwest in the morning. The energy is 240. It's a marginal call, but it could be the cleanest of the bigger days. Then on Thursday the 23rd, the wind swings to a cross-offshore from the east-northeast, but the swell has faded to just 2 ft. It's a clean closeout.

So, if you're desperate, your standout is the Saturday morning, the 11th of July. It's the only time you get offshore wind on a small, rideable wave. For the bigger, more powerful days in the second week, the Wednesday morning of the 22nd is your best bet, but it's a long shot with the wind and the marginal rating. Beyond that, it's a blank run. The area is simply not delivering for the next 16 days. Forecasts can change, but right now, it's a waiting game.

Rusty.

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